Portable generator for producing radio-activity in varying substances.



C. R. HEBERLING & A. H. LOW.

PORTABLE GENERATOR FOR PRODUCING RADIO ACTIVITY IN VARYING SUBSTANCES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.23| 19M.

Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYs ill n'r OFFICE- GASSIUS lit. HEBERLING AND ALBERT H. LOW, OFDENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNORS TO THE COLORADO RADIUM PRODUCTS COMPANY, OFDENVER, COLORADO, A CORPORA- TIEOIN OF COLORADO.

PORTABLE GENERATOR FOR PRODUCING RADIO-ACTIVITY IN VARYING SUBSTANCES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

Application filed March 23, 1914. Serial No. 826,770.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, CASSIUS R. Henna- LINGand ALBERT H. Low, citizens of the United States, residing at the cityand county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain newand useful linprovemcnts in Portable Generators for Producingltadio-Activity in Varying Substances; and we do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use thesame.

This invention relates to a portable generator for producingradio-activity in varying substances.

T he invention itself is for a portable container adapted to hold incaptivity a suitable insoluble radium-containing agent or substance,which portable container is adapted to be brought into proximity with,or preferably surrounded by, the substance to be radio-activelyimpregnated, whereby the emanation of said radium-containing agent iscaused to impregnate the substance to be treated, whether a solid, afluid or gaseous substance, or a liquid, preparing the same for thevarious uses to which it may be put, and, as the invention is for thegenerator itself, the invention is not specifically limited to anysubstance which is now known may be beneficially made radio'active, orwhich may hereafter become so known.

For the purpose of simplicity of disclosure, however, the invention willonly be described especially with reference to fluids, and particularlywater, or other liquids, but will be understood that the invention isnot limited to such particular use. lVith reference to water, forinstance, it is now well understood by the medical profession and laymenthat the same may be made radio-active, and act as a curative means bothfor internal and external use.

it is a. well known fact that-liquids, or substances which have beenrendered radioactive, rapidly lose this quality when removed from thesource of radio-activity. Natural radio-motive waters frommineralsprings, for instance, rapidly deteriorate when stored, orshipped away for later or distant consumption. a

One of the main advantages, therefore, of herein described invention, isthat, when the portable container is placed in proximity with. orsurrounded by, the substance to be impregnated. or particularly whenplaced in water. or other suitable liquid, it not only renders thelatter rzulio-active but maintains the radioactivity thus produced andprevents its deterioration indefinitely as long as the portablecontainer is so associated with the substance being treated. It willreadily be seen, therefore, that it is a very desirable .end to invent aportable means that is capable of producing this radioactive effect andwhich is practically indestructible and capable of being readily soldand shipped to different points for local use, as may be desired. Forinstance, with a container of simple construction, as hereinafterdescribed, the same may be placed in a receptacle or a glass jar filledwith water, or other liquid, and allowed to stand for a sutiicientlength of time, ordinarily at least over night, and the jar having beenclosed, the emanation from the radium-containing substance impregnatesthe liquid with radioactivity and the same may be used With the sameresults as if the user journeyed to some of the famous radioactivesprings or waters, and, while the radio-activity in this liquid willremain a substantial time, it may be caused to continue indefinitely aslong as the container is left to remain in the liquid;

It is therefore, one of the objects of this invention to produce such acontainer, which is simple in construction, cheap to manufacture, andeiiicient in action.

The invention, however, is not limited to the exact details shown anddescribed, as it is obvious that various modifications might be made inthe construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from thespirit of the invention, orwithout sacrificing any of the vitalprinciples thereof.

For the purpose of disclosure, however, reference is bad to theaccompanying drawing, showing a practical embodiment of the invention,and the particular features of novelty will be pointed out moresuccinctly in. the claims appended to the following specification.

In the drawing, like characters designate the same parts in the severalviews, in which- Figure l is an external elevational view of ourinvention; Fig. 2 is a view on an enlax-god scale, showing the externalcasing in sectional elevation, and showing the internal container forthe radium bearing material partly in elevation and partly in sectionalelevation; Fig. 3 is a bottomplan view of Fig. 1; and Fig. a is a.substantially central fragmentary sectional; view of the externalcasing, disassembled and in position to be spun together.

1 designates an external two-part casing of anysuitable shape, andcomposed of any suitable material, such as aluminum, or hard rubber, orother non-corrosive metal or disiutegrable or deleterious material,which casing is provided with a plurality of small apertures orperforations 2, preferably disposed substantially around its entire'surface, although the number of perforations is immaterial, providedthey are sufficient in number and size to permit of the free circulationor entrance of the liquid to be impregnated into the immersed casing,and the free escape into said liquid of the emanation from theradium-containing material or agent.

In the drawings, however, there is shown a neat, and preferred,construction, substantially oval in contour, of any suitable material,but shown in the drawings as formed of metal, provided with thetelescoping flanges 3 and 4-, which, when the sections are placedtogether, in assembled position, are

spun together, but it is obvious that any other suitable means ofjoinder may be employed. The casing may also be provided with anysuitable means for suspending it in the receptacle containing the liquidto be radio-actively impregnated, or for lowering it therein andwithdrawing it therefrom,

and, in the drawings, this means is simply shown as a single eye orcotter member 5, securedto the head or top of the casing. This casing isadapted to receive in a compact mass and restrain the escape of asuitable radium-containing agent, such as a radium-bearing ore,insoluble salts, or a suit able insoluble radium compound, but at the.

same time to permit of the free escape into the liquid of the emanationtherefrom. This is preferably done by providing an internal porous orpervious container suiiiciently permeable to allow of the freesaturation of the radium-containing agent and the escape therethrough ofthe emanation generated thereby. container may be in the nature of asufficiently permeable bag of any suitable cloth or metallic fabric, or,in fact, a suiiiciently porous container or foraminous cage of anysuitable material, the pores or interstices of which are sufiiciently,minute to prevent the escape of particles of the radio-active masscontained therein. It isillustrated at 6 in Fig. 2 of the drawings asbeing partly in elevation and partly in section, the latter It isobvious that this internalto show the restrained contents. Within thisinternal container 6 is held the captive radium-containing agent, eitherin natural state or combined with a suitable base, the two beingpreferably finely divided limit ourselves to any particular radium,

its

containing agent, for our invention would be equally effective with suchsubstances as insoluble salts, and even certain uraniumradium mineralsor ores of foreign origin, such as autunite, thorianite, pilbarite, andpossibly other minerals which have not yet, however, been feasiblyworked, it is believed, for the commercial extraction of radium.

While we do not restrict ourselves, therefore, to any particular radiumbearing substance, still, in practice, we have so far preferredpitchblende and carnotite minerals orv In the actual carrying out of theinvention, it is possible to use certam ores en 7724836, wlthout anyfilling or binder, but a peculiar condition exists in connection withcarnotitc and perhaps other ores, inasmuch as they are more or less of aclay-like nature, and would tend to discolor the liquid in which theyare immersed, and also to gradually escape insmall particles into theliquid being impregnated. For this reason, there fore, it is desirableto mix up with such ores a suitable filling in the nature of a binder tohold the particles of ore intact as to form, while, at the same time,allowing the same to be freely and completely saturated by the liquidand give off their radioactive emanation. As a matter of fact, thisbinder might consist of various materials of a suitable nature, but, upto the present time, we have found it preferable to employ a suitablecementitious substance. This is not really essential in the case ofpitchblende ore, but, even with pitchblende and other ores, it isdesirable that the same be intermingled with. a filling of a freelyabsorptive nature, such, for instance, as pulp, or a small amount ofPortland cement, the object being to enable the entire mass to attain acom act, or even solid, condition, and yet be sufiiciently porousthroughout, to allow easy' access of liquid and escape of emanation.

In assembling the parts, the internal container, with theradium-containing agent, is placed within the two-part casing (althoughit may be formed of several sections), and

the sections then suitably joined together, forming a portable whole.

ii. ii

In thedrawings, the joint is-shown as described and is spun together,but it is obvious that other means of joinder might be employed with thesame or other material. It is also obvious that the portable article maybe made in various sizes for various conditions, and shipped orotherwise sent to the desired destination, and there used without anyfurther attention, excepting by following the method of using same,which, as stated in the beginning of the specification, consists inplacing the portable container in the water or other liquid to beimpregnated, which water or other liquid may be contained in a jar orother suitable receptacle of any size, depending upon the use to whichthe liquid is to be put. Upon placing the portable container within thereceptacle, the latter is closed and allowed to stand until the liquidwill have become sufficiently radio-active,ordinarily over night, moreor less.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is I 1. As acompleted article of manufacture, a radio-active generator adapted to beimmcrsed in a fluid to be radio-actively impregnated, comprising acasing, a closed container located within said casing, and a radioactiveagent confined within said container in a compact mass, said containerbeing permeable to said fluid and to the radiations from saidradioactivemass but substantially impenetrable to the escape of particles of saidmass, and said casing being perforated to permit of the emission of theemanations from said radio-active mass into said fluid. a

2. In a portable radio-active generator for liquids, the combinationwith an outer casing; of a closed container located internally thereofand adapted to receive and contain a compact mass of a suitableradio-active substance, said closed container being permeable to saidliquid but substantially impenetrable to the escape of particles of saidinclosed mass, and also being substantially indestructibly unall'ectedrelatively to the action of said liquid, and said outer casing beingperforated to permit of the saturation of said radio-active mass andpermit ol" the emission of the emanations there'l'roni into said liquid,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, we allix our signatures, in presence of twowitnesses.

CASSTI'S R. HEBERLTXG. ALBERT ll. LOlV. Witnesses:

J. S. (lros'ra, A. W. KIRKPATRICK.

